Luis J. Rincon / Arizona Sonoran News

Tucson barber Jalen Robles was used to having high-profile college athletes in his chair, but on a warm November day when one of the most recognizable names in University of Arizona sports walked through the door, he knew it was a moment to remember.

Robles is not one to fanboy over University of Arizona basketball players. He’s had several in his chair before, including Jaden Bradley and Carter Bryant, now a rookie for the San Antonio Spurs.

But when he saw the text from Bryce James — a Wildcats basketball player and the son of LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer — the day after the Wildcats’ 93-87 win over Florida, he knew this was a next-level opportunity.

As soon as he read the message, he knew he would be cutting Bryce James’ hair. James only trusted a few barbers to cut his hair, and Robles was about to join that elite circle.

“I wasn’t necessarily nervous to meet him,” said Robles. “I was more nervous to give him like the best haircut of his life. It was more pressure on me to make sure I could give him the best haircut possible.”

When James walked in, Robles treated him like all his other clients. The conversation was “organic and natural,” and for Robles, it was just another day at the office.

Until it wasn’t.

Robles posted the haircut on his @JalenCutz Instagram page, where it got the attention of Overtime, a sports media company with more than 10 million followers.

Robles collaborated with Overtime to repost the video of James’ cut under the title “When you sense your barber recording and gotta lock in.” The post got more than 14,000 likes.

“When I posted the haircut, I ended up getting a lot of attention from that,” Robles said. “A lot of new clients have started booking with me, and so I’ve been extremely busy, which has been a blessing.”

But there weren’t always thousands of likes and a plethora of clients for 21-year-old Robles, whose passion for barbering goes back to his time at Salpointe Catholic High School.

Back then, Robles had dreams of playing football in college, but cutting hair was always on his mind. When he suffered an injury on the field, becoming a barber moved from Plan B to Plan A.

Robles began watching haircut videos on YouTube during class to learn as much as he could. He gave his first haircuts for free from his parents’ garage, hoping to gain clients and practice.

He eventually attended barber school and got his license.

“From when I was in the garage, it gives me a sense of gratitude for where I am now,” said Robles, who recalled spending hours on every haircut and watching endless YouTube tutorial videos so it appeared he knew what he was doing.

After earning his license, he got a job at Ascension Dynasty, a Tucson barbershop, where he built a big enough clientele to open his own studio.

Robles sees his success as a blessing and credits his devotion to God.

“God opened up so many doors to meet certain people I never would’ve thought I’d be cutting the hair of,” he said.

Cutting Bryce James’ hair was Robles’ viral moment, but his reputation had been steadily growing for months before that. He had already been cutting hair for UA basketball players who came to him at the recommendation of team manager Sam Smith.

Smith met Robles by chance. He was looking for a barber in Tucson, and his father, who is also a barber, sent him a few to check out, including Robles.

“He looked like the best barber to me, in all honesty,” said Smith.

Once Smith sat in Robles’ chair, he kept going back, and their friendship grew. They now attend Bible study together and hang out from time to time.

“He’s a great person, friendly guy. He can definitely hold a conversation,” Smith said. “It’s like really easy to talk to him.”

Word of Robles’ haircuts spread around the team after he offered Smith a free cut for every person he brought in. Smith began telling teammates, and one by one, players started scheduling appointments.

Smith said Robles also offered players a free haircut on their first visit. The first player to come in was rising star point guard Jaden Bradley.

“Because of Sam’s love for me and him spreading the word about me I was able to cut Jaden Bradley,” said Robles.

Since then, Robles has emerged as the unofficial barber for the No. 1-ranked UA men’s basketball team.

 Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

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